Microsoft released KB5095093 on June 23, 2026 — the optional non-security preview update for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2. It moves systems to OS builds 26200.8737 and 26100.8737.
This update carries more significance than a typical monthly preview. It introduced Point-in-Time Restore to Windows 11 for the first time — a feature that lets you roll back your entire PC to a previous working state. It delivered major Bluetooth improvements that fixed issues affecting AirPods and Beats headphones. And it quietly introduced a new Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface that — weeks later — turned out to be the cause of the Dell PC shutdown and overheating crisis that required its own emergency fix.
Here is every feature, every fix, every known issue, and the full story of how this optional June update set the stage for July’s biggest Windows incident.
What Is KB5095093?
KB5095093 is a C-release — the optional preview update Microsoft releases in the third week of each month. It is distinct from the mandatory Patch Tuesday security updates released on the second Tuesday of each month.
C-releases are non-security updates. They do not include security patches. They function as a preview of the quality improvements, bug fixes, and new features that will ship to all Windows users in the following month’s mandatory Patch Tuesday. For this reason, installing KB5095093 is optional — but it gives users and IT administrators an early look at what July’s mandatory update will contain.
The update is large — approximately 5.4GB for Intel and AMD PCs and 4.8GB for ARM devices. This size reflects both the cumulative nature of the package and the fact that Windows updates now bundle AI components alongside OS changes.
If you did not install KB5095093 in June, everything it contains (except the USB-C Connection Manager interface in its original form) shipped again as part of the July 2026 mandatory update KB5101650.
Every New Feature in KB5095093
Point-in-Time Restore — The Preview Debut
This is the headline feature of KB5095093 — and it is significant enough to deserve a proper explanation.
Point-in-time restore is a flexible recovery feature that helps you quickly roll back your PC, including apps, settings, and personal files, to a recent automatic restore point. It helps reduce downtime and simplifies troubleshooting when issues occur.
This is different from both System Restore and Reset This PC.
System Restore — which has been in Windows since Windows ME — only saves and restores registry and system file snapshots. It does not capture application data or user files.
Reset This PC — available since Windows 8 — reinstalls Windows but takes 30 to 90 minutes and may require reinstalling applications.
Point-in-Time Restore captures the full system state — apps, settings, and files — and restores it faster than Reset This PC. If something goes wrong after installing software, a driver, or an update, Point-in-Time Restore brings everything back to a recent known-good state without the lengthy reinstallation process.
The feature first appeared in KB5095093 as a preview. It shipped to all users as part of the July 2026 mandatory update KB5101650, where it became available to everyone rather than just users who had installed the optional preview.
To access it after installation, go to Settings, System, Recovery.
Windows Update — Calendar-Based Pause Scheduling
KB5095093 introduces a new Windows Update pause control: calendar-based scheduling for update pauses up to 35 days.
Previously, Windows Update offered fixed pause durations — 1 week, 2 weeks, up to 5 weeks — without the ability to specify an end date. The new control lets users select a specific date on a calendar for when pausing ends, which is more practical for scheduling around known events like product launches, critical deadlines, or travel.
The maximum pause duration remains 35 days under standard settings.
Bluetooth — Major Fixes for Real Problems
Microsoft has improved mic mute synchronization between the Windows audio mixer and the Hands-Free Profile, which should eliminate the annoying lag where your headphones think they are muted while your PC does not. Pairing with AirPods is now faster, issues with the Beats Studio Pro microphone are addressed, and reconnection times after hibernation have been reduced. If you have seen a “Remove failed” message due to your Bluetooth radio going dark during a delete, that is fixed too.
This is the most practically impactful set of fixes in KB5095093 for users with Bluetooth audio devices.
The mic mute synchronization issue was one of the most reported Bluetooth problems in Windows 11 — particularly for users on video calls where the Windows audio mixer mute state and the headphone’s own mute indicator would fall out of sync, making it unclear whether the microphone was actually muted.
The faster AirPods pairing and reduced reconnection time after hibernation address two of the most common complaints about Apple devices on Windows.
Voice Typing and Voice Access — Three New Languages
Voice typing and voice access have also added support for French, German, and Spanish, featuring real-time grammar and punctuation correction that improves your dictation on those languages.
Previously, voice typing’s real-time grammar correction was primarily optimized for English. KB5095093 extends that capability to French, German, and Spanish — meaning dictation in those languages now benefits from the same real-time punctuation and grammar improvements that English speakers have had.
Widgets — Quieter Defaults
The Widgets experience is redesigned in KB5095093 with an emphasis on being less intrusive. Notifications from Widgets are suppressed by default in more contexts, and the Widgets panel is more compact when not in focus. This change addresses the frequent complaint that Widgets was visually distracting during work sessions.
File Explorer — Faster and More Stable
File Explorer receives speed improvements in KB5095093 — specifically faster loading for folders with large numbers of files, improved search reliability across multiple drives, and fixes for stability issues that caused File Explorer to stop responding in certain configurations. These improvements build on the File Explorer work that shipped in March 2026’s KB5079473.
AI Components Updated — Copilot+ PCs Only
KB5095093 also updates the following Windows AI components to version 1.2605.856.0: Image Search, Content Extraction, Semantic Analysis, and Settings Model. These components power features like intelligent search, content recommendations, and AI-assisted settings — particularly on Copilot+ PCs.
These AI component updates apply specifically to Copilot+ PC hardware — devices with dedicated NPU chips designed for on-device AI processing. Standard Windows 11 PCs receive the update package but the AI components within it do not install on non-Copilot+ hardware.
Emoji Panel GIF Fix — Time-Sensitive
This is a specific fix with a deadline attached to it.
Google’s Tenor API — which powers GIF search in Windows 11’s emoji panel — was scheduled for shutdown at the end of June 2026. Installing KB5095093 before June 30 migrates the emoji panel’s GIF search from Tenor to an updated API endpoint. Users who did not install KB5095093 before the deadline and who did not subsequently install the July mandatory update KB5101650 would have found that GIF search in the emoji panel stopped working after June 30.
For anyone reading this after July 2026: installing KB5101650 resolves this retroactively — the fix is included in the July mandatory update.
Secure Boot Certificate Rollout — Critical Notice
KB5095093 includes an important notice about Secure Boot certificates.
Secure Boot certificates used by most Windows devices are set to expire starting in June 2026. Microsoft has been rolling out updated certificates to consumer and non-managed business devices over recent months. If your device has not yet received the updated certificate, it will continue to start and operate normally in the meantime. Updated certificates will continue to arrive via Windows Update.
Secure Boot certificates are used during the boot process to verify that the software loading on your PC is trusted. The expiring certificates are being replaced gradually — KB5095093 continues this phased rollout by pushing updated certificates to additional devices based on their update history and hardware profile.
Devices that have not yet received the new certificates continue to boot and operate normally while the rollout completes. This is a background infrastructure update rather than a functional feature change.
Recycle Bin Fix
KB5095093 addresses a specific Recycle Bin bug introduced by June 2026’s security update KB5094126: when permanently deleting a file, the confirmation dialog was displaying an internal Recycle Bin file name rather than the original human-readable file name. This made it unclear which file was being permanently deleted. KB5095093 restores the correct original file name in the confirmation dialog.
Taskbar and System Tray Stability
Before KB5095093, some Windows 11 users were experiencing intermittent failures where taskbar elements — including the Start menu button and system tray icons — would stop responding or disappear temporarily. KB5095093 addresses the underlying stability issue causing these failures.
Printing — Standardized Protocols
KB5095093 includes changes to how Windows handles printer communication protocols. The update standardizes printer protocol handling to improve compatibility with a broader range of network and USB printers, reducing the frequency of printer connection failures and driver conflicts that some users experienced after earlier 2026 updates.
Networking — Confidential VM and Background Services
Backend networking improvements in KB5095093 include upgrades to confidential virtual machine networking — relevant primarily for organizations running virtualized workloads that require data isolation at the hypervisor level. Background service shutdown times have also been reduced, improving the speed at which Windows closes background processes during shutdown or restart.
The USB-C Connection Manager — The Change That Started the Dell Crisis
This is the aspect of KB5095093 that matters most to the broader Windows 11 update story of mid-2026.
KB5095093 introduced a new Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface — an updated system for managing USB-C port behavior, power delivery, and device authentication. The change was functionally correct and improved USB-C handling on most hardware.
What it did not account for was a specific Intel driver present on certain Dell PCs.
The Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver manages how Intel processors respond to thermal and power events at the platform level. The new USB-C Connection Manager interface in KB5095093 conflicted with this driver’s expected behavior — leading affected Dell PCs to show a yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager next to the Intel IPF driver entry.
This conflict was not immediately dangerous on its own. But when the July 2026 mandatory update KB5101650 incorporated the same USB-C Connection Manager interface and delivered it to all Windows 11 devices, the conflict escalated. Affected Dell PCs that received KB5101650 experienced unexpected shutdowns, overheating, poor performance, and accelerated battery drain.
Microsoft’s response was to block KB5101650 on affected Dell devices and then release KB5121767 as an emergency out-of-band fix four days later.
The chain is traceable directly to KB5095093: the optional June preview introduced the change; the July mandatory update delivered it broadly; the conflict triggered the emergency fix.
Full Feature Summary Table
| Feature | Type | What Changed |
|---|---|---|
| Point-in-Time Restore | New | Full system rollback including files and apps |
| Windows Update pause | Improved | Calendar-based scheduling up to 35 days |
| Bluetooth mic sync | Fixed | Eliminates headphone mute lag |
| AirPods pairing | Improved | Faster connection and reconnection |
| Beats Studio Pro mic | Fixed | Microphone recognition issues resolved |
| Bluetooth post-hibernate | Improved | Faster reconnection after hibernate |
| Voice typing languages | New | French, German, Spanish added |
| Widgets | Improved | Quieter defaults and notifications |
| File Explorer | Improved | Faster loading, more stable |
| AI components | Updated | Version 1.2605.856.0 — Copilot+ only |
| Emoji panel GIFs | Fixed | Migrated from Tenor API before shutdown |
| Secure Boot certificates | Ongoing | Continued phased rollout |
| Recycle Bin dialog | Fixed | Shows correct filename when deleting |
| Taskbar stability | Fixed | Start button and tray intermittent failures |
| Printing | Improved | Standardized protocol handling |
| USB-C Connection Manager | New | Introduced Dell/Intel IPF conflict |
| Confidential VM networking | Improved | Backend infrastructure upgrade |
Should You Install KB5095093 Now?
Since KB5095093 is a June 2026 optional preview and we are now in July 2026, the question of whether to install it separately is largely moot for most users.
If you have not installed KB5095093:
Everything in it — except the USB-C Connection Manager in its initial form — is already included in the July mandatory update KB5101650. If you have KB5101650 installed, you have all of KB5095093’s content and more. You do not need to separately install KB5095093.
If your PC was blocked from KB5101650 (Dell IPF issue):
Install KB5121767 first, which resolves the Intel IPF driver conflict and enables you to receive KB5101650 normally. After KB5121767 installs, KB5101650 will be delivered and you will have everything from KB5095093 as part of that package.
If you want to install KB5095093 manually for specific reasons:
The update is available from the Microsoft Update Catalog. It requires KB5043080 as a prerequisite — install that first if it is not already present. KB5095093 does not include security patches and requires a restart.
How to Install KB5095093
Method 1 — Windows Update (Seek Update)
KB5095093 is an optional update and will not install automatically. To install it:
Go to Settings, Windows Update, Advanced Options, Optional Updates. Look for KB5095093 and click Download and install. Alternatively, go to Settings, Windows Update and click Check for updates — if the optional update is offered, click Download and install.
Method 2 — Microsoft Update Catalog
Go to catalog.update.microsoft.com. Search for KB5095093. Select the package matching your Windows version and architecture. Download the .MSU file — note the approximately 5.4GB size for x64 systems. Run the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts. A restart is required.
The prerequisite for manual installation is KB5043080. Ensure it is installed before attempting KB5095093 to avoid error 0x800F0838.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is KB5095093?
KB5095093 is the optional non-security preview cumulative update for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 24H2, released June 23, 2026. It moves systems to OS builds 26200.8737 and 26100.8737. It introduces Point-in-Time Restore, Bluetooth improvements, voice typing language additions, File Explorer improvements, and an updated Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface.
Is KB5095093 mandatory?
No. KB5095093 is an optional C-release preview update. It does not include security patches. It will not install automatically unless you manually seek it out in Windows Update or via the Microsoft Update Catalog. All its improvements are included in the July 2026 mandatory update KB5101650.
What is the Point-in-Time Restore feature in KB5095093?
Point-in-Time Restore is a new Windows recovery feature that rolls back your PC — including apps, settings, and personal files — to a recent automatic restore point. It is faster than Reset This PC and more comprehensive than System Restore. It first appeared in KB5095093 as a preview and shipped to all users in July’s mandatory update KB5101650.
Did KB5095093 cause the Dell PC shutdown issue?
KB5095093 introduced the Windows USB-C Connection Manager interface that conflicted with the Intel Innovation Platform Framework driver on certain Dell PCs. This conflict was the root cause of the unexpected shutdowns, overheating, and performance issues that affected some Dell devices after July’s mandatory update KB5101650. The fix was delivered in emergency update KB5121767.
Do I need to install KB5095093 separately if I already have KB5101650?
No. KB5101650, the July 2026 mandatory update, includes all content from KB5095093 plus July’s security patches. If KB5101650 is installed, you already have everything that was in KB5095093.
How large is KB5095093?
KB5095093 is approximately 5.4GB for Intel and AMD PCs and 4.8GB for ARM-based devices. This is larger than typical preview updates due to the bundled AI component updates for Copilot+ PCs.
What Bluetooth issues does KB5095093 fix?
KB5095093 fixes microphone mute synchronization between the Windows audio mixer and the Hands-Free Profile, accelerates AirPods pairing, resolves Beats Studio Pro microphone recognition issues, improves Bluetooth reconnection speed after hibernation, and fixes a “Remove failed” error caused by the Bluetooth radio going offline during device removal.
What prerequisite is needed for KB5095093?
KB5043080, the September 2024 checkpoint servicing stack update for Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2, is a required prerequisite for KB5095093. Installing KB5095093 without KB5043080 in place will fail with error 0x800F0838.
